Nearly 1,000 Arizona children have lost or will soon lose their autism therapy coverage after Medicaid insurance plans canceled contracts with two of the state's largest providers.

Why it matters: Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is critical to communication and life skills development and prohibitively expensive if not covered by insurance, parents and providers told Axios.

Threat level: "This is not a luxury. This is the difference between a child thriving and a child disappearing back into silence," said Elizabeth Galvez, the mother of three boys with autism, two of whom were nonverbal before ABA therapy.

State of play: Late last year, Mercy Care canceled its contracts with Action Behavior Centers (ABC) and Centria, which together have about 50 ABA facilities statewide. Another Medicaid provider, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, also canceled its contract with ABC.

• Some families received temporary extensions, while others lost coverage early this year.

What they're saying: Mercy Care spokesperson Deborah Hillman did not answer questions about why the contracts were canceled.

• In a statement she said the nonprofit insurer stands by its decision, "which was made thoughtfully and in alignment with our responsibility to members and network standards," and that it is confident that children can continue their care at one of the 70-plus remaining in-network ABA providers statewide.
• UnitedHealthcare did not respond to Axios' request for comment.

Yes, but: Parents we spoke to said ABA waitlists were already months-long before Centria and ABC were removed as options. Many noted that other providers are significantly further from their homes and that changing their children's routines could undo progress.

The latest: Nearly 100 parents, providers and advocates gathered outside the state Capitol yesterday to demand insurers revive the contracts. Several mothers shared stories of successes their children experienced with ABA.

• Galvez said earlier this week, her sons were debating which dinosaur is the coolest — "this may seem small to you, but to us, it's a miracle."
• Kim Powell introduced her 4-year-old son, who was nonverbal before ABA. He confidently spelled his name for reporters: "T-e-d-d-y; my name is Teddy."

Tell a parent

After 11 years leading ASU men's basketball, Bobby Hurley's time in Tempe appears to be coming to an end.

State of play: Hurley's contract expires at the end of this season, and it's widely expected that it won't be extended.

The latest: The Sun Devils' final regular-season game is tomorrow on the road against No. 6 Iowa State.

• Barring an unexpected run to the Big 12 championship — which would earn the Sun Devils a spot in March Madness — ASU's season will likely end in the conference tournament that begins March 11.

1 big finale: The Sun Devils beat No. 14 Kansas on Tuesday, with fans storming the court at Desert Financial Arena after what was likely Hurley's final home game in Tempe.

Catch up quick: After a short and successful stint as Buffalo's head coach, ASU hired the fiery former Duke star in 2015.

• Hurley generated a lot of early buzz and had his share of successes, taking the Sun Devils to the NCAA tournament in 2018 and 2019 — the school's first back-to-back March Madness appearances in nearly 40 years.
• But he's only had three tournament appearances in 11 years, most recently in 2023.
• He ended the past two seasons with losing records.

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This week at the Legislature:

🚫 Automatic subscriptions would be easier to cancel and companies would have to inform customers of pending renewals a month in advance under a bill unanimously approved by the Senate.

🎯 Voters could be asked to allow firing squad as a method of execution in Arizona under a proposed ballot referral that received preliminary approval in the Senate.

🚘 Lawmakers rejected an attempt to amend legislation to regulate automated license plate readers so use of the devices would be mostly banned in Arizona. Meanwhile, the underlying bill may not have enough support to pass.

💻 Parents of online "kidfluencers" who create content involving their underage children would have to put some proceeds from that content into trusts for their kids under a bill approved by a Senate committee. The House already passed the bill unanimously.

🏘️ Cities would be barred from requiring new single-family homes to include certain non-safety design requirements like garages, patios, decorative light fixtures, specific colors or window styles under legislation passed by the Senate.

"Pay-to-play" showdown

⚡ The Corporation Commission voted 5-0 to repeal the state's 2006 renewable energy standards. (KJZZ)

👀 Haitian asylum seeker Emmanuel Damas, who's been in ICE custody since September, died after a tooth infection went untreated, despite mentioning the issue to Florence Correctional Center staff in mid-February. (Associated Press)

🚨 DuLance Morin, an employee at the Attorney General's Office, was involved in the shooting death of 32-year-old Maria Lewis, Mesa police confirmed. Morin has been placed on administrative leave, and the circumstances leading to Lewis' death are under investigation. (AZcentral)

🌮 Rene Andrade, the James Beard Award-winning chef behind Bacanora and Huarachis, is taking over the former Barrio Cafe, which closed in 2024. (Phoenix New Times)

Welcome to another edition of "Where in the Valley?"

How it works: We show you something cool. You tell us where it is.

• The first reader who names the spot gets a shoutout in the newsletter.

You tell us: Where in the Valley can you find this familial statue?

Catch up quick: Congratulations to Joe Gregory, the first reader to give us the correct location for last week's "Where in the Valley?" photo.

• The domed building is part of Robert L. Duffy High School at 25th Street between Jefferson and Washington streets.